The Flower that Bloomed in Winter
by ThenamesBlue
Summary: On an adventure gone wrong, Morty had been kidnapped by some aliens. Rick had tried his best to rescue him as fast as he could but he didn't get there in enough time to save him from everything and now Morty is forever changed. How will he deal with the pain of his own memories and how will Rick cope with the guilt of failing him. All artwork: duckdean/hyperspacfyck on tumblr
1. Chapter 1

"Fuck!" Rick exclaimed and leaned back in his rickety swivel chair where he sat at his desk in the garage. He had been working on a new device for days that would allow him to shapeshift with no luck. He stretched his arms up above his head and heard his back crack and pop before he reached into the side pocket of his white lab coat and grabbed his flask. He lifted it to his lips and threw his head back to gulp down a few mouthfuls of the warm liquid before whipping his hand across his mouth and putting it away. He'd been drinking more and more these days. Unable to deal with the years events.

"H- hits, the spot every time…" he muttered to no one and then leaned back over his desk to continue his work. "Come on R- Rick, you- you're the smartest man in the universe. How hard could it b- be?" He grumbled and then startled slightly when he heard a voice reply from behind him. "Apparently pretty hard considering you've been in here since Tuesday without a single break." Morty said from where he was leaning against the door to the garage with his arms crossed. "Jesus fuck Morty! What have I told you about sneaking up on me you li- little shit!" Rick exclaimed and turned to the boy with fake annoyance written plainly on his face. Rick had taken down governments, destroyed entire civilizations and invented things that God himself shouldn't have permitted to exist and yet an 18-year-old was able to sneak up on him from time to time. He couldn't comprehend how. He took in the sight of his grandson from where he was standing and noticed how tired he looked. There were dark circles under his normally bright green eyes and his curly brown hair was disheveled and sticking up in several directions. He even looked like he had lost some weight which was ridiculous considering he usually looked like a good gust of wind could knock him over anyways, but his appearance was no surprise to Rick anymore. He knew what had caused Morty to become this way.

"How you doin pipsqueak?" He said eyeing Morty up and down. A blush rose to the boy's cheeks and he rubbed the back of his neck defensively. "I'm fine. Just haven't been sleeping is all…" He muttered and then quickly changed the subject, walking over to Rick's desk and peering over his shoulder to glance at the project he was working on. "What have you been doing in here anyways?" He asked and Rick narrowed his eyes at him suspiciously but let the subject pass for the time being.

He knew what was causing his loss of sleep anyways. For a moment, Rick was taken back to a memory of finding Morty curled up in a ball in the corner of a filthy room. His clothes had been shredded to bits and for a moment, Rick thought he was dead. Until he heard the sobbing. He quickly shook his head to rid himself of the memory and focused on Morty once again. He had been waiting patiently for Rick to reply.

"Fucking nothing apparently." He finally replied to Morty's question and turned back to face his desk. "I do- don't know about this one Morty, guess I won't be able to- to turn into Bill Gates and collect all his riches after all." He said sarcastically and Morty snickered softly. Rick had to force back the smile that threatened to show on his face at the sound of his grandson's laughter. It was pretty rare to hear these days. "Couldn't you just, you know, teleport into the nearest bank and then teleport back with as much money as you wanted?" He asked with a smile and turned to sit on the edge of Rick's desk so that he was facing the man. Rick subtly backed up in his rolling chair to put some distance between the two of them. Morty didn't seem to notice the gesture. "Sure, but whe -urp- where's the fun in that Morty?" He joked and crossed his arms over his chest. Morty grinned, revealing his pearly white teeth. "Right, I forgot you're not like any sane person in the universe." He joked and kicked his legs back and forth as they did not touch the ground due to his shortness. Rick was struck with the sudden thought that Morty looked quite carefree in that moment but he knew it was only charade meant to put him at ease. "Being sa-urp-sane is over rated Morty. Having fun is much more important." He replied and Morty smiled softly at him. He wished he could cause that smile more often but he knew it wasn't that easy. Rick reached back into his coat for his flask at the thought and Morty watched him take a couple gulps from his flask. When he looked back up at Morty it was only to be met with an uncomfortable frown. Rick saw his sudden change in demeanor and rolled his eyes.

"Don't look at me like tha -urp- t Morty." He replied in the tone that meant 'don't push it.' Morty starred back at him and without skipping a beat said, "It's not your fault Rick." All the cheerfulness and laughter from a moment before disappeared from his voice. Rick turned his back to the boy and shook his head. "Don't. Don't start that." He said darkly but Morty pushed on.

"You can't keep blaming yourself. _I_ Don't blame you Rick. The past can't be changed. We all have to live with what happened but you don't have to blame yourself." He said quietly but Rick wasn't having any of it. Suddenly he whipped around and without thinking snapped in anger. "You don't think I know that already Morty! You don't think I've tried and tried for the past year to find a way to turn back time so that I can fix this? To fix you!" he exclaimed and wished he could take it back instantly at the look on Morty's face. "Mo- Morty I didn't mean-." He stammered, but Morty interrupted him. "Fuck you Rick." He said quietly and then quickly hopped down from his spot on Rick's desk. A couple years ago, he wouldn't have dared talk to the scientist in the way that he just had but the past year had changed him. At this point, it was as if he didn't care about what Rick did in response were as before, he would have feared for his own safety. Rick's heart twisted painfully in his chest and he snarled softly under his breath in frustration as he watched the boy go. "Morty!" he called and stood up intending to go after him but Morty ripped the garage door open and slammed it shut behind him. Rick felt his energy drain and he slumped back down into his chair. He continued to stare at the door for a few more moments before letting out a frustrated sigh. The scientist turned back to his desk and ran his hands over his face and through his hair. For a moment, he sat in silence starring at nothing and wondering why he had been born to upset people. He thought about going after Morty but he knew he would just make things worse. Sometimes he needed a little space to himself. He shook his head and turned his attention back to the project on his desk.

Morty paused for a moment with his back against the garage door before growling in frustration and stomping of in the direction of the stairs. He took the steps two at a time and then disappeared quickly into his room before anyone else could see him. He didn't want to risk running into his mom, dad or sister in the chance that they might sense something was wrong with him and try to help. Ever since a year ago when his adventure with Rick had gone horribly wrong, his family had been treating him like a baby bird. His mom and sister would try their best to comfort Morty but all he saw was pity in their eyes and he hated it. Meanwhile, his dad had been taking every chance to avoid the boy. Morty couldn't blame him though. Jerry was clueless as to how to help so he stayed away. His mom and Summer were completely different. They were both biting at the chance to try and help but more often than not, it just served to make him feel worse. He didn't want to hear the pity in their voices, and then there was Rick. Stupid, selfish, brilliant Rick. Of all people, Morty hadn't been expecting him to change, hadn't been expecting Rick to pity him, in fact, he was hoping desperately for the opposite but of course, Morty never got what he wanted. After he had brought Morty home he had been looking at him differently. Even a year later, the looks hadn't changed. If anything, they'd gotten worse. He wasn't nearly as spiteful and sarcastic as he used to be. In any other situation it would have been a blessing but Morty hated it and above all, he feared it. He didn't want the genius to look down on him, to think he was weak and he couldn't stand the thought that he might even be disgusted with him. Morty stalked over to the vertical mirror hanging on his wall and ripped his shirt off to stare at his reflection. He wasn't surprised at what he saw. Though Morty, had gotten taller and sleeker as he grew, he'd been losing weight. He just couldn't bring himself to sleep or eat and he knew it was taking its toll on his body but why should he care. He winced slightly when he saw a litter of bright white scars that wrapped around his left side, down his hip and up his back. A memory suddenly, resurfaced of a man with a deep gravely voice and dark purple eyes beating him mercilessly with a whip while people laughed in the background. Morty felt anger rise up inside of him once again at the memory and he snarled loudly before lunging forward to punch the mirror in front of him. He didn't even flinch when it shattered into pieces and slashed his knuckles open. He drew back slowly and shakily and let his fist fall to his side. Blood dripped from his hands to the floor and stained the carpet but he couldn't care less. He collapsed down on to his bed and shoved his head into his hands.

There was a light knock at his door and he startled slightly. "Ye-yeah?" he called out clearing his throat. "Are you okay Morty? I heard a loud crash?" he recognized Summers voice instantly and he sighed, letting his head fall back into his hands. "Yeah. Im fine Sum, I just tripped over something and my mirror fell. Don't worry about it." He called out, slightly muffled by his hands covering his face. There was a moment of silence from the other side of the door and then Summer spoke up again. "Okay. If you need me I'll be in the kitchen." She said and Morty listened to her hesitate before walking away and down the steps.


	2. Chapter 2

Rick had continued working on his project well into the night before he finally decided that the best thing for it might be for him to take a break. He yawned and leaned back in his chair before looking at the watch around his wrist. It was 3am. He wheeled his chair away from his desk and stood before heading towards the kitchen. He passed through the living room and was a bit surprised to see the tv was on. He shrugged and made his way into the kitchen only to stop when he realized he wasn't alone. Morty was standing in the kitchen, leaned against the sink and starring out the window. Only the light of the moon illuminated his features and he didn't seem to notice that Rick was there. Rick starred at him for a long moment, not wanting to disturb the peaceful silence. He looked so much older. Rick remembered the annoying little kid that used to complain on every adventure. Now their adventures were over and Rick couldn't say he missed it. Morty had grown so much that he was barely recognizable from the memories. Puberty had given him a straight jaw and high cheek bones and his once, unruly brown hair had seemed to find its place on Morty's head. Rick realized in that moment, that Morty had become quite beautiful. He shook the thought away quickly and cleared his throat. Morty startled slightly and turned his attention towards him. Rick slowly took his eyes off Morty and made his way to the fridge. He opened it and bent down to glance inside. "What are you doing up?" he said over his shoulder as he shifted through the fridge looking for something to eat. For a moment, Morty didn't say anything. "I- I can't sleep…" he replied quietly. Rick reached into the fridge and grabbed a beer before closing the door. He looked back over at Morty who had just been starring at him silently. He seemed to realize he was starring after a moment and then turned away from Rick to grab a cup out of one of the cupboards. As he reached up Rick noticed that his knuckles and wrist were wrapped up in a bloody bandage. Without thinking, he placed his beer on the counter and reached forward grabbing Morty's wrist and pulling him forward. "R- Rick, stop!" Morty exclaimed and tried to pull away but Rick only pulled him closer. Without a word he unwrapped the bandage from around Morty's knuckles and a quiet growl escaped him at what he saw. "What the hell did you do to yourself?" he snarled and Morty flinched before he ripped his hand out of Rick's grasp and held it against his chest protectively. "I-I-I slipped…" he stuttered. Rick felt his chest squeeze in pain. _Bull shit, you slipped!_ He thought with a low growl. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before exhaling and turning on his heel. "Come on." He called over his shoulder and started back toward the garage. Morty hesitated for a moment but then sighed and slowly followed Rick. Rick gestured for Morty to take a seat as he searched through his cabinets for some fresh bandages and other supplies. When he turned around Morty was staring at him with his hand still clenched to his chest. Rick sighed and pulled up a chair to sit in front of Morty. He reached forward and gently took Morty's hand into his own. He was silent as he worked cleaning the deep gashes across Morty's knuckles. He winced as Rick spread some antibacterial cream across the wounds. Rick glanced up at him through his eyelashes and then back down at his hand. "Sorry…" he muttered and furrowed his eyebrows when Morty let out a pained bark of laughter. "Rick Sanchez is apologizing. Never thought I'd hear that in my life time." He said sarcastically. Rick paused his movements and looked up at Morty. Morty met his gaze unwaveringly. "Yeah well I don't say it often so take it as it comes…" he grumbled and then grabbed a syringe off his desk. He flicked the tip of the needle with his fingers and then moved to inject it into Morty's hand. "This might sting." He said and then injected the anesthesia into Morty's knuckles. Morty hissed in pain but said nothing and held still. After a moment of silence, he spoke up again. "I can take care of myself Rick. You don't have to do this…" he said quietly and this time there wasn't a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He just sounded sad and reserved. Rick stopped his motions and looked up at Morty. "Right cause you're gonna be able to stitch these up by yourself, right?" he replied sarcastically and Morty looked away.

"So-so- sorry, forget I- I said anyth-." He began but Rick interrupted him. "The least, I can do is this Morty…" he said quickly and Morty's face contorted into anger for the second time that day. "St-stop it Rick! I don't need you're pity or your guilt!" he exclaimed and Rick froze. For a moment, there was genuine fury on his face. "Yo- you think this is because of pity Morty? I-It's much much more than that! I should have been there! I should have gotten to you faster. It _was_ my fault Morty. You have no idea how- how hard it's been for m-me to see you l-like this! To- to see the only thing I-I care about-." He blurted out and then instantly regretted how much he had revealed in saying so. For a moment, Morty felt a spark of hope alight inside him. What did Rick mean by that? It was common knowledge to everyone that Rick didn't care about much and if he did care about something, he would never admit it out loud but he'd admitted that he cared about Morty. _But in what way?_ Morty asked himself. Was it possible that Rick cared for him in the same way that Morty cared for Rick.

Rick stammered stupidly for a moment and then tried to spin the statement around by saying, "I-I mean, you're my grandson and whether I like it or not I have to care."

 _Oh._

So that's all it was. As quickly as it had ignited, the flame of hope went out inside his chest. Morty has never felt so tired in his life. He closed his eyes and leaned back in Rick's swivel chair to let his head rest over the back of it. He starred up at the ceiling and blinked away the tears that had suddenly appeared at the corner of his eyes. "Yeah….yeah of course Rick…" he mumbled.

Rick's heart squeezed painfully once again in his chest as he watched Morty's face change from some sort of hope to complete dejection. _Fuck, fuck, fuck!_ He thought to himself and clenched the fist of the hand that wasn't holding Morty's so hard he could feel the skin break under his nails. How could he do this? How could he break the boy even more than he already had been, but what could he do? He couldn't admit that he did care. That he cared so much that it hurt. He couldn't tell Morty that he was his whole world, and that it felt like his breath was being wrenched from his chest every time he saw how much of a toll all of this had taken on him. He couldn't tell him because not only was it sick, and selfish for him to have these feelings, but also because it was dangerous. Everything he touched burned down to the ground eventually and Morty? He was too young, too important to Rick too go down in that fire with him. Rick had already burnt him enough. He couldn't do it again. So, he pushed the feelings to the back of his brain and tried his best to move on.

Morty didn't say a word or even flinch when Rick began to stitch some of the deeper gashes up on his knuckles. He was being more gentle than he ever had been with anyone but he knew it still had to hurt from his own experience of stitching himself back together over and over again. When he finally finished, he wrapped the boy's hand up properly with a fresh bandage and then wheeled his chair over to his desk once again. He reached into the mini fridge that sat to the left of it and pushed past a bottle of whisky to grab a vile of something light blue. He then proceeded to stab the new syringe into the top of it before pulling up on the stopper to fill the syringe. Morty slowly lifted his head from where it had been resting on the back of the chair and looked up at him. "Are you done?" he asked hoarsely. Rick wheeled back over to him and without hesitation, lifted Morty's sleeve and injected what was in the syringe straight into his arm. Morty jumped slightly and looked at Rick with an expression of panic on his face. "Wha-what the hell was that?" he asked but Rick had turned his back to him and was putting away all his things. "You need to sleep Morty." He replied quietly. Morty looked down at his arm and then up at Rick once again. "Wha-what do you- what did you do Rick?" He stammered and tried to get up but his legs had suddenly become very weak and he collapsed back into his chair. "Woah- careful there." Rick said and put his hands on Morty's shoulders. "You need sleep Morty. Don't worry I'll watch ove-urp-over you." He said. Morty tried to fight back, tried to tell Rick he didn't need sleep, that he was afraid of it but suddenly speaking seemed to take way too much energy and before he knew it his eyes were drifting shut as he spiraled into darkness.

Rick watched as Morty's face morphed from anger, to panic, and then finally into restful sleep. He knew Morty would be pissed when he woke up but if he had continued on without sleeping he would have seriously damaged his health more than he already had. As soon as Morty fell asleep, Rick slipped his left arm under his knees and his right arm around his shoulders and lifted him from his chair. He felt a pang of guilt at how light the boy had become. He should have been trying harder to help but he just couldn't get through the thought that he should be doing more but it was hard to push past his instinct to leave it alone. He carried Morty over to a blank wall in the corner of the garage and tapped on a side panel twice. There was a whirring sound and the wall slid aside to reveal a small room. It was dimly lit and contained only a twin sized mattress in one corner, a night stand and a small recliner with a lamp next to it in the other corner. He made his way to the bed and laid Morty down gently before pulling the covers up around his shoulders. For a moment, he paused and took in the sight of Morty sleeping soundly.

He looked so peaceful. Rick reached forward and smoothed his bangs away from his face gently before cupping his cheek in his hand. "I'm sorry Morty… I should have never taken you that day…." He mumbled and suddenly his mind was transported back to the memory of it. He'd convinced Morty to go on a new adventure with him to a planet that was full of alien casinos and K-lax crystals. "C-Come o-on Morty! Let-Let's go on an adventure!" he'd said as he swung open Morty's door to find him doing homework quietly at his desk.

"Gee-geez Rick I don't know…I-I've got a lot of homework to-to do and I-." Rick cut him off by waving a hand at him dismissively and grabbing him by the back of his shirt collar. "Qui-quit bein a lo-urp-loser Morty. You know what I-I think about school." He exclaimed and began dragging him out of his bedroom door. A few moments later they were sitting in a smoke-filled casino room, playing some form of alien black jack. Rick was doing a line of k-lax off the table while Morty sat next to him fidgeting nervously with his cards. "Ri-Rick, I- I don't even know how to-to play this." Morty stuttered looking down at the cards in his hands which had a set of strange alien numbers on them. Rick suddenly through an arm around his shoulders and laughed loudly. "Calm your tit-tits Morty!" he joked and then leaned closer to whisper in his ear, "There's no-no way you can lose." When he pulled away he gave Morty a wink. Morty took a deep breath and glanced around the table nervously. They were playing with a few other species of alien. Some he recognized but some he didn't. One figure in particular had been eyeing them strangely since they arrived and Morty shivered at the look he gave him. He was a tall muscular alien with purple skin and long claws on each three-fingered hand. His eyes were two purple slits in his head and he had long pointed fangs that stuck out of his mouth. Morty cleared his throat nervously and tried to ignore him.

As the night continued, Rick had won four games and was racking up quite a bit of money when one of the aliens across the table stood up suddenly and slammed his hands down on the table. "You're cheating!" He exclaimed in a deep voice. The atmosphere suddenly changed drastically and everyone stilled. Rick turned to face the alien from where he had been flirting with a strange alien waitress. "Is that what yo-urp-you say when you realize you're losing Flimbark?" he said with a chuckle, apparently unaffected by the rage on the alien's face.

"Bull shit, Sanchez! You've rigged the game!" he snarled and started to reach into the side pocket of his coat. Before he could move another inch, Rick whipped out a laser gun from his coat and shot the alien between the eyes. The casino erupted into chaos in less than a blink of an eye. "Run Morty!" he yelled out and took off in the direction of the ship. Morty Didn't hesitate to jump to his feet and follow him. This wasn't the first time this had happened after all. He was only a few steps behind Rick when suddenly an arm snaked out and grabbed him around the waist. Rick heard a strangled cry and whipped around to see Morty with a gun pointed to his head being held against an alien's chest. It was the quiet purple alien that had been eyeing them all night. His stomach dropped and bile rose up in his throat. Without hesitation, he lifted his laser gun and pointed it at the alien, intending to shoot to kill but before he could pull the trigger, they disappeared in a flash of green light. For a moment, he was frozen in shock and by the time he began to realize the gravity of the situation, it was too late. He was being cornered on all sides by the casino's security. All he could do in the moment was pull out his portal gun and portal away.

Rick shook the memory from his mind with a snarl. There was no point in thinking about it when Morty was safe with him now. He looked back down at the boy and felt his heart twist painfully in his chest. Sure, Morty was back home, but he was far from safe and Rick knew it.


	3. Chapter 3

"Please! Please stop!" Morty whimpered from where he crouched in the filthy corner of a basement. His clothes were ripped and stained with fresh blood that still dripped from his last beating. A tall figure stepped out of the darkness and slowly made it's way over to him. "You know that's not how it works sweetheart." The man purred and knelt down to grab Morty's chin in his three-fingered hand. He twisted Morty's jaw harshly towards him and Morty had no choice but to look his abuser in the eyes. "Wh-Why are you doing this?" Morty sobbed and the alien chuckled. "Do I need a reason to play with my pet?" he replied, as if it was the most obvious answer in the world and then slipped two fingers into Morty's mouth. Morty gagged and tried to pull away but the alien simply followed him back, gagging him even more.

Before he could think of the consequences, Morty was biting down hard enough to draw blood. The alien man howled in pain and yanked his fingers back. Suddenly a fist collided with the side of Morty's head and light danced across his vision. He collapsed to the ground in a heap and for a moment he swayed in and out of consciousness. When he came back to, he could hear the alien man cussing under his breath. He smiled weakly at his slight victory but the pleasure of winning one against his capture was quickly stamped out when he heard the snap of the alien's fingers. Three figures appeared out of the darkness and advanced towards him. He began to whimper weakly and tried to scoot away but for some reason his body wouldn't work.

"Have your way with him." His capture said to the three figures, shaking some blood from his hand. "But make sure you save something for me." He added with a chuckled and Morty felt his empty stomach flip. As the three aliens advanced on him he tried his hardest to clear his mind but instead and image of a blue haired scientist with a cocky smile appeared behind his closed eyes. _He'll come for me soon. He'll get me out of here._ He thought to himself. He'd found it was the only thing that had kept him sane for the past few weeks, days, hours? He wasn't sure. "Ricckk…" He whimpered as hands began to roam over his body. "Please come soon."

Rick had been studying over a few of his blueprints when Morty began to twitch violently in his sleep. He paused and looked up to watch the boy. He had a twisted expression on his face that looked a lot like fear and his hands twitched feebly in his sleep as if fighting something. Rick stood and walked over to the cot to sit on the edge.

"Rick…" Morty muttered softly and he froze.

"Rick please help me." Rick's heart stuttered in his chest and he knew in that instant that Morty must be reliving a nightmare in his sleep. He closed his eyes tightly and wished for the thousandth time that he could have prevented this, wished that he could he had been smarter, faster or whatever it would have taken to save Morty from the horror's that still plagued his mind. He reached a hesitant hand forward and caressed Morty's cheek before slipping his hand into the boy's curls.

For a moment, Morty stiffened but then slowly relaxed under Rick's hand. After a few minutes of Rick carding his hand gently through his hair he settled back into a comfortable sleep. With each passing day that he sat idly by, doing nothing to help Morty, he felt his frustration grow. Why could he not protect the only thing he cared for? He growled softly under his breath and bit his lip painfully. It was too much. Too difficult for him to handle. His whole life, Rick had avoided confrontation, had avoided caring about people because it only seemed to end in disaster and he was afraid. He'd tried with Diane, tried with Beth, but somehow he always seemed to ruin everything and in the end, he'd decided it was much easier to run away but he couldn't do it to Morty. He wasn't sure what it was about the boy that had changed him. It seemed remarkable that of all the worlds in every infinite universe that Rick had visited, Morty was the one person who was able to break down his walls. Maybe it was the fact that out of everyone he had ever met, Morty was the only one who seemed to truly understand his madness.

He never asked Rick to be something he wasn't, like Beth had so frequently done. He never asked Rick to stay like Diane had. He knew it was selfish to be this way but it was who he was and Morty seemed to know that but Rick could never tell him how he felt and it wasn't because he wanted to keep up the farce that he didn't care.

Rick looked down at the hand that wasn't carding through Morty's hair. Images of all the lives he'd taken with these hands flashed across his mind's eye and he balled his hand into a tight fist. Morty was too good, too pure, for him to selfishly throw it all away. So he made sure that he never knew just how much Rick cared for him. It was for the best or so he thought.

Morty awoke slowly to the sound of something buzzing in the distance. For a moment, he began to panic when his eyes flickered open to an unfamiliar setting and his mind flashed back to a filthy room on a far away alien planet but as his eye's adjusted to the darkness of the room he remembered the events of last night. He sat up a little too quickly and his head spun. Whatever Rick had shot him up with last night had clearly not completely worn off and he groaned quietly, screwing his eyes shut to let the room settle. Anger rose up in his chest when he thought about how Rick had dosed him up with some sleeping aid without his permission but when he opened his eyes again and saw his hand bandaged up carefully, the anger died. He thought about the gentle way that Rick had attended to his wounds even though Morty could tell he was mad that he'd hurt himself in the first place. He sighed and rubbed his eyes before ripping the blanket off his legs and swinging them over the edge of Rick's bed.

He waited a moment for the room to settle once again and then slowly got to his feet and headed for the door. It took him a second to remember how to open it but he eventually got it and knocked on the wall twice. The door slid open and Morty was met with a blinding, sparking light. He yelped loudly and the light stopped. Rick had been sitting at his desk, welding something when Morty walked in and he quickly turned off his welder before pulling off his mask. "Morty! Sorry!" he exclaimed and Morty gave him a weird look. He looked uncharacteristically excited to see him. That's when Morty noticed that it was mid-day outside.

"You let me sleep all night and morning?" he quipped and Rick grimaced slightly looking away. "Well…More like 35 hours…" He muttered and trailed off. Morty's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. "You what now?" he replied dumbly and Rick stood up putting his hands out in front of himself defensively as if he thought Morty might hit him, and he was thinking about it. "Morty you needed sleep. It's not like you have school or anything. You graduated remember?" He explained and Morty gave him a dumb look. "Oh did I Rick? Hmm that's interesting!" He bit back sarcastically and turned to head towards the door leading out of the garage and into the living room. "Wait Morty!" Rick called out and Morty stopped. He turned slowly and gave Rick a quizzical look.

"What?" he asked. Rick opened his mouth and closed it like a fish before looking away and rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I…I thought I'd take you out for something to eat." He said simply and Morty starred at him in shock. It was weird enough that he was offering to do something nice for him but the awkward way he was asking was completely different from his normal confident self. "Thanksss…. But I'm not hungry" Morty lied and went to turn away but Rick stopped him once again. "Come on, you need to eat. If you want, we could go to that place in California you like so much?" He said and Morty whipped around a little too fast, his head spinning once again. "You mean In and Out?" he said hopefully and Rick couldn't help but chuckle at the excited look on his face. It was nice to see some child-like behavior in the boy again. Morty couldn't lie. He may not be much for eating nowadays but the prospect of chowing down on some greasy burgers with animal style fries sounded pretty awesome in that moment and his stomach growled loudly, betraying his thoughts.

Rick laughed and grabbed his lab coat off the back of his chair. "Yeah In and Out. Lets go." He said and pulled his portal gun out of his pocket. Morty sighed but didn't protest. Rick fiddled with the coordinates on his portal gun for a moment and then shot a green portal onto the garage wall. Morty froze when he saw the familure green of the portal. It had been a little over a year since he had last stepped through one and the thought terrified him for a moment. Rick seemed to notice the slight panic that suddenly adorned his grandsons face and before he could rethink it, he was reaching out a hand to him. "It's okay. I've got you." He said gently. Morty glanced down at Rick's open hand and then up at Rick once again. Slowly he moved forward and placed his own hand in Ricks. Rick curled his fingers around Morty's and gently pulled him forward. Morty couldn't help but notice that Rick's hand was warm and calloused from years of work. He felt a slight flutter in his stomach and warmth spread to his cheeks but before he could think too much on it, he was being pulled through the portal and out into warm Californian air. It was still relatively early there and there was a warm breeze blowing as the sun sat lazily up in the sky.

Palm trees swayed gently back and forth above them as they made their way through the parking lot and into the front of the In and Out. In less than five minutes, they were seated at one of the tables outside with a platter of food between them. Rick reached into his side pocket and produced his flask. Morty watched unamused as he unscrewed the top and poured a quarter of its contents into the top of his drink. When he looked up and saw Morty's disapproving face he shrugged. "It is what it is kid." He replied and took a sip from his paper cup.

Not wanting to ruin Rick's good mood with another lecture about alcohol abuse, he decided to make a joke instead. "Do I need to remind you that this is a _Christian_ establishment Rick." Morty joked before taking a bite from his burger. He almost moaned out loud from the explosion of flavor that erupted across his taste buds. Rick chuckled softly and snagged one of Morty's animal style fries from his basket. "What are they gonna do Morty, exorcise me?" he joked back and munched on the fry with a smile. Morty laughed loudly and Rick felt his heart squeeze in his chest. It had been a long time since he heard Morty's laugh and he couldn't help but feel proud that it had been because of him. "I don't know Rick. Maybe that's what you need." He laughed and continued eating his burger.

Before he knew it, he had finished off his burger and more than half his fries. He couldn't even remember the last time he had felt so full, and he couldn't help but feel a bit sick. "Sorry, I should have told you to eat slower." Rick said as he noticed the queasy look on the boy's face.

"It's okay. It was worth it." He grimaced and sat back in his chair. He rested his head against the back of it and closed his eyes for a moment, willing his stomach to settle while he soaked up the rays of the sun. It felt good to forget for a while, to let the sun soak into his pale skin and for the first time in a long time he felt full, well rested and content but he knew it wouldn't last. After a moment, he looked back up at Rick who had been starring at him silently. "Thank you." He said softly and Rick looked slightly surprised. "For what?" he asked quizzically. Morty was silent for a moment and Rick couldn't help but notice how good he looked in the sunlight. He looked like he belonged here and Rick was glad he could give him at least that.

"For watching out for me." Morty replied finally but his face took on a sudden sullen look. "But I don't need it." He added quietly, looking away. Rick felt his stomach sink. After all the progress he thought he had made today, it still wasn't enough. "Morty-." He started to say, intending to convince him that he could help but Morty cut him off. "I know you're only doing this because you feel guilty, or maybe because you pity me but I don't need pity and you don't need to feel guilty." He said simply and Rick felt his frustration rise up once again. "Morty. I'm not doing this because I pity you, or because what happened was my fault." He said and suddenly Morty trained his deep green eyes onto him. "Then why?" he asked, his voice suddenly very serious. Rick starred back at him, trying to think of a proper response that wouldn't reveal too much. _Because I care, because I want to help you, because I lov-_ "It's fine Rick. I get it." He responded and then looked away once again. Rick wanted more than anything in that moment to explain himself but he just couldn't do it. He couldn't taint Morty the way he tainted everything else in his life.

For a couple minutes, they sat in silence as the sun began to make its descent. "We should head back. It's probably pretty late back home." Morty said quietly, still not making eye contact with Rick. Rick starred at him for a moment longer before nodding softly. Once they were back in the garage, Morty made his way into the living room and towards the stairs. Rick followed him for a moment and watched as he made his way upstairs slowly. "Morty." He called after a second and the boy stopped. He looked back down at Rick who was standing at the bottom of the stairs. There was a moment of silence between them where they both just starred at each other and then Rick broke it. "I'm sorry." He said quietly and Morty was quiet for another moment. Then he smiled softly and shook his head. "There's nothing for you to apologize for." He replied and then turned slowly to disappear into his room.


	4. Chapter 4

Two days past before Rick talked to Morty again. It wasn't that he hadn't tried. It was that Morty kept avoiding him for some reason. When they'd pass in the kitchen or the living room, Morty would quickly disappear into another room. He got the feeling that Morty needed the space so he didn't push it but he couldn't say he wasn't worried. He knew they hadn't exactly ended on good terms the other day but he didn't think it had gone that badly.

He got his chance to talk to Morty one day after dinner. They were sitting at the dining room table eating with the rest of the family. Summer was texting on her phone while Morty pushed around his food with his fork. Suddenly, Jerry cleared his throat and everyone looked up expectantly, except Rick who ignored the man as he took a sip from his flask and burped loudly.

"Soooo… Morty." He began, catching Rick's attention. Rick squinted his eyes at the man and glanced over at Beth who had a stricken look on her face. "What are your plans?" Jerry finally finished. Morty looked at him with a confused expression on his face. "My plans?" he asked quizzically and Jerry glanced at Beth before clearing his throat and pushing on. "Well I mean…you've been graduated for a year. Don't you think…maybe you should try to get a job?"

"Jerry!" Beth interjected and Jerry threw his hands up defensively.

"What? Summer has a job and she might be moving out soon!" he exclaimed and Summer rolled her eyes at him. "Don't drag me into this Dad." She said and continued texting on her phone. "Jerry he's not ready for a job!" Beth exclaimed and Rick could tell the argument was steadily escalating out of control. "The boy's eighteen, Beth. He needs to figure out what he wants to do-." Jerry began but was interrupted by Morty clearing his throat. Everyone went silent and looked up at him. Morty stood up and pushed his chair away from the table.

"I'll start applying." He said simply and grabbed his plate full of uneaten food to take to the kitchen. "Morty wait! You don't have to-." Beth began but Morty cut her off once again. "It's fine mom. He's right." He replied and then left the room. Everyone turned their eyes back on Jerry and he looked between all of them. "What?" he said defensively and Beth sighed in frustration. "I told you not to bring this up Jerry. Morty's not ready to go back out there. He's too-too fragile!" she said and this time it was Rick's turn to get angry. He slammed his flask down on the table and stood abruptly. "He's not a- not a damn doll Beth. Don't underestimate him." He growled before storming out of the dining room and into the garage.

It was rare for him to get upset with Beth but she had really pissed him off when she talked of Morty so lowly. She probably didn't even know she was doing anything wrong but Rick knew. He knew how much those words would eat at Morty if he had heard them and he was beginning to understand why the boy thought Rick pitied him so much. It was because of the example that the rest of the family was leading but Rick knew more than anyone that Morty was far from weak or fragile.

Suddenly, he thought back to the moment when he finally tracked down Morty's location. When he burst down the door to the facility that Morty had been kept at for two weeks he was shocked to find most of the guards already dead. He followed the trail of bodies to a closet and when he opened the door a bullet whizzed past him, missing Ricks head by an inch and lodging itself in the wall behind him. He froze and looked down to find Morty curled up in a ball in the corner with a pistol pointed at his head. He was almost unrecognizable with a dark bruise taking up half his face and blood covering him from head to toe. His clothes had been torn to shreds. Dark red bruises and fresh wounds peaked out from beneath his clothes. He starred at Rick with a haze in his eye's that said, "take one more step and I'll kill you where you stand."

"Morty…" He whispered and suddenly the haze disappeared from the boy's eye's and was replaced with recognition. "Ri-Rick?" he whispered back and then launched himself forward and into Rick's chest. "Rick! I-I knew you'd come! I-I kept telling them you would!" he sobbed loudly and Rick wrapped his arms around him gently. At that moment, he felt the last shred of his resolve and adrenaline dissolve out of his body and he collapsed backward, pulling Morty with him. He was just so relieved to finally be reunited but underneath all the excitement of having Morty back in his arms was the absolute horror he felt at his appearance. He wasn't quite sure what he had been expecting but nothing could have prepared him for this and he knew in his heart that he would probably discover a lot more about what had taken place later.

Rick was pulled out of his revere by a loud beeping from his watch and he was reminded that there were things he needed to do but the memory served to remind him of one thing. Morty Smith was far from weak. He may have been damaged during his time at the facility, but Rick knew for certain that he had gone down fighting.

Morty pressed himself against the wall in the kitchen and took a deep breath, still holding his dinner plate in his hand. "I told you not to bring this up, Jerry! He's not ready to go back out there. He's too fragile!" he heard his mom exclaim and his heart dropped. He knew they thought he was weak but every time he heard it said it broke him apart a little more. He froze when he heard a slam on the table then Ricks voice. "He's not a damn doll Beth. Don't underestimate him." He heard Rick growl before the man stormed off to the garage. Morty felt warmth spread to his face. He hadn't been expecting Rick to defend him so violently and he suddenly felt guilty. He'd been avoiding Rick for the past two days in fear of confrontation but he knew now that he owed the man at least a bit of his time. So after he'd spent an hour or so in his room, applying to whatever random jobs were hiring on his phone, he made his way back down to the garage.

When he entered the room, it was dark outside and Rick was nowhere to be seen but Morty could guess that the old man was in his room, so he made his way to the side panel of the wall and called out. "Hey Rick…You in there." There was a moment of silence and then Morty heard footsteps. Suddenly, the wall slid open to reveal Rick leaning against the door frame. His mouth almost fell open when he saw that Rick was wearing nothing but his boxers, a white tank top and a robe that hung loosely on his frame. He had never seen Rick in his pajamas and he couldn't help but stare awkwardly.

"What's up?" Rick asked and eyed Morty curiously. Morty suddenly realized he had no real reason for coming down to the garage and he blushed lightly, willing his hammering heart to slow down in his chest. "Uh…I just wanted to see what you were up to?" he muttered and Rick starred at him for a moment before cracking a smile. "Come on." He said and beckoned Morty into his room as he turned away. Morty hesitated for a moment before swallowing and following the man in. He wasn't gonna think about how nice Rick looked so relaxed or how much of his skin was showing. _What a-am I? A fuck-fucking school girl?_ He thought to himself and shook his head.

Rick made his way over to the recliner in the corner and sat down before continuing to read over some blueprints. Morty took the chance to subtly examine Rick's room, now that he was awake to see it. There wasn't much as far as furniture goes but Morty realized there were various photographs of people as well as different blueprints tacked all around the walls. His eye's trained onto one picture in particular and he couldn't help but gawk at the site of a younger Rick wearing a black tank top that said, "The Flesh Curtains" in red ink on it. He was wearing a black choker and had his arm slung around someone that Morty quickly recognized as Birdperson. Morty couldn't stifle the slight snicker that escaped him and suddenly Rick looked up from his blueprints to stare at him. "What are you lo-looking at? You nosy bas-bastard." He joked and stood up to see what Morty was so interested in. When he saw the picture that Morty was looking at his smile faltered slightly and he reached out to pull it off the wall. For a moment, he starred at it in silence before smiling and handing it to Morty.

"I used to be in a band with Birdperson and Squanchy." He explained and there was a faraway look in his eye's as if he were reliving it. "It was called, The Flesh Curtains." He laughed and shook his head. Morty starred at him for a moment before looking back down at the photo. Rick looked so happy in the picture and Morty couldn't help but wonder what had happened to him to make him the man that he was today. "Do you miss him?" he asked quietly and Rick froze, starring at the wall. He was silent for a second before looking back over at Morty. "Sometimes." He replied simply and then looked away. Morty decided to drop the subject and tacked the picture back onto the wall. Rick cleared his throat suddenly and Morty looked up at him expectantly.

"So…have you applied for anything yet?" he asked and it took Morty a second to realize what he was talking about. "Oh yeah…McDonald's is hiring if you're interested." He joked, intending to make Rick laugh, but the man just stared at him. "What?" he asked and Rick looked away. "I-I know somewhere that's hiring- if you're up for it that is?" he stammered and Morty squinted his eyes suspiciously. Why was Rick being so weird? "Where?" he asked and Rick paused for a long moment before looking back at Morty with a sudden look of resolve on his face. "Here." He said and it only served to make Morty more confused. "Wha-What do you mean?" he stuttered and Rick moved to sit back in his chair. He clasped his hands together and starred straight at Morty.

"I need an assistant."


	5. Chapter 5

There was a long moment of silence where Morty simply starred at Rick in astonishment. Rick stared back seemingly unaffected by his confusion. "Rick…That's not a job…" he muttered finally and then started laughing. "If it is, then you owe me a few paychecks because I've been your 'assistant' for years." He quipped, putting air quotations around the word assistant as he spoke. Rick shook his head and sat up in his chair. "No Morty. This will be different. I'd pay you a reasonable amount for your help. It's only fair since you're eighteen now but I can only offer you this job if you're ready for it." He explained and Morty realized that he was 100% serious.

His eyes widened and his mouth opened and closed uselessly. "I don't- I don't know Rick…" he finally replied before looking off to the side. To Morty's surprise, Rick simply nodded. "I won't push you to make a decision. If you want to…and if you're ready to go back out into the field…then the job's yours but if not then simply tell me and that will be that." He explained and then added with a smile, "Although, I think you'll enjoy working with me a little more than working at McDonalds." Morty stared at him for a moment and then nodded weakly with a smile. "I-I guess I'll think about it…" He mumbled and Rick simply nodded at him before turning back to his blueprints.

That night, Morty lay awake in bed staring at the ceiling and thinking about Rick's proposition. He couldn't lie to himself. The idea of working alongside Rick again as they sped across the galaxy was enticing, but was he ready? Suddenly, images of being alone in a jail cell while strangers violated every part of his being flashed across his eyes and he screwed them shut tightly, willing the images away. He wasn't sure he could do it. He wasn't sure he was strong enough to move on yet but what else could he do? He couldn't continue the way he was now, barely eating or sleeping while the memories of his time in that place tormented him day and night. Maybe this was what he needed to move on.

The thought seemed stupid even to himself. That jumping back into the very lifestyle that had destroyed him in the first place might heal him in some way but he just couldn't help the slight excitement that rose up in him at the prospect. Maybe it was wrong of him, to be so addicted to the rush, the adrenaline, of running for his life with Rick at his side but it was who he was. Other memories of Rick smiling at him when he said or did something just right also surfaced to his mind and he found the pleasure of those memories outweighing the bad ones and of course there was Rick.

What else mattered when it came to Rick? Morty had accepted long ago that he had an unhealthy affection for the genius. That maybe he even loved him but he could never tell him that. It wasn't because Rick was much older than him, or even because he was his grandfather because let's be honest, Morty had seen enough messed up shit in the galaxy to make the morals of the situation pale in comparison. It was because he was afraid of what Rick would say in return. What if he was disgusted or worse, what if he left? Morty couldn't handle that thought. Once before, he had told Rick, "I can handle it if you leave," and it may have been true then but it sure as hell wasn't now. Telling the man was out of the question but maybe, just maybe, he could take this opportunity to selfishly soak up as much of the man as he could. Morty found that simple thought was all it took to push him over the edge. It was decided. He was going to be working for Rick.

"Okay." Morty said and Rick jumped slightly from where he had been working at his desk in the garage the next morning. "Jesus Morty! What have I told you about sneaking up on me-." He began but then stopped abruptly and spun around in his chair. "Wait. Okay?" he said and Morty laughed before nodding his head. "Okay, I'll be you're assistant." He confirmed and Rick smiled widely. "Alright then!" he exclaimed but then his face fell slightly and Morty quirked his head to the side in confusion. "What is it?" he asked. Rick was quiet for a moment, trying to think of the right way to talk without giving Morty the wrong idea.

"Are you sure you're ready?" he finally asked and Morty looked at him before glancing away at the ground. "I don't know if I'll ever be ready…but I have to do something Rick." He stated plainly. Rick looked at him thoughtfully for a moment more and then stood. He placed a hand gently on Morty's shoulder and smiled. "We'll start off slow." He said and Morty's heart thudded in his chest at how thoughtful the statement was. Rick had changed a lot in the past year and part of Morty missed the old Rick but the other part, the more selfish part, was basking in the glory of his blatant affection. "I guess we need to tell the family." Rick suddenly said, breaking Morty out of his thoughts. He groaned and put his head in his hands. "I didn't even think about that. Mom is gonna freak." He said and Rick laughed loudly. "You just let m-me worry about that." He said and patted Morty on the shoulder once again before walking past him towards the garage door.

Later that evening, they had called the family into the living room and everyone sat waiting and wondering what was going on. Beth rung her hands nervously and looked between the two of them while Summer sat texting away on her phone. "So what's up?" Jerry finally said.

Morty glanced at Rick who was leaned up against the living room wall with his flask in hand. Rick just gave him an encouraging nod. "Well…um… I-I found a job." He said lamely and Jerry smiled at him. "Okay! See! I told you he would be fine Beth!" he said excitedly looking at his wife. Beth gave him a dirty look and turned her attention back to Morty with a softer expression. "That-that's good sweetie…but um…are you sure you're ready-because you really don't have to do this!" she said nervously and Morty resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her.

"Yes I'm sure." He said encouragingly. Finally, Summer decided to join the conversation by adding, "So where will you be working?" There was a long moment of silence that actually caused Summer to look up from her phone curiously. "Morty?" Beth asked gently and he shook himself, trying to regain his resolve. "Well…It-it's…um…It's with-." He began but was cut off by Rick's gruff voice. "He's going to be working for me." He said plainly and the room erupted into chaos. "Absolutely not!" Beth yelled while Jerry jumped from his chair and said, "Are you crazy! You're not taking my son back out there!" Summer who had been shaking her head quietly added, "Grandpa Rick that's the dumbest idea I've ever heard."

They continued to argue on until Morty found that their voices were becoming garbled and irritating. "Stop!" he suddenly yelled and the room went silent. Everyone starred at him, even Rick. "This is my decision. None of you have the right to tell me what's best for me. Rick didn't force me into this. I made the decision myself and its final. Now you can take my decision and move on with it or you can shut up!" he yelled and there was a quiet shock that spread through the room. Before they could begin arguing again, Morty grabbed Rick by the lapel of his lab coat and dragged him into the garage. "Well I think that went great." He said sarcastically once they were alone. Morty let out a huff of air and collapsed into Rick's desk chair. Without even thinking, he pulled out a pack of camels from his jean pocket and lit a cigarette before freezing to look up at Rick. Rick gave him a look but then laughed and shook his head.

"Yeah. I need one too." He said and Morty relaxed before tossing the pack, and lighter over to the man. Rick didn't ask when Morty had started smoking. He could guess when and he had done enough messed up shit in his time that he really had no right to lecture the boy on the dangers of smoking. They sat for a moment in peaceful silence while they smoked. Finally, Morty put out his cigarette's in an old cup of coffee on Rick's desk and turned back to the man.

"So when do I start?"


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Rick and Morty sat in the garage going over all that Morty's "new" job would entail. "So" Rick chimed, fiddling with a small microchip on his desk. "If you're going to be my official assistant, there's go-urp-gonna be some new rules." He said, not looking at Morty. Morty squinted his eyes at Rick suspiciously. "Like what?" he asked hesitantly. He was a bit afraid of what Rick was going to say. Rick suddenly, looked at Morty with a serious expression and he got the since that he wasn't gonna like where this was going. "I'm going to put a tracking chip in you." He stated plainly. "Absolutely not." Morty replied without hesitation.

"Morty-." Rick started, but the boy shook his head, cutting him off.

"Are you crazy Rick-."

"Well you know the answer to that one-."

"You're not putting a tracker in me." Morty finished with a growl and Rick gave an exasperated sigh. Rick was quiet for a moment, trying to figure out the best course of action to convince Morty but in the end, he decided that the truth would be the most convincing of all. "Morty…I can't lose you again." He finally said, looking Morty in the eyes. The anger on Morty's face slowly dissolved into something that Rick couldn't recognize. He was quiet for a while, as if weighing out the options in his head but eventually he sighed and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "Okay…" he mumbled and Rick felt a slight triumph at having won the boy over. "but you can only track me in case of an emergency Rick. Everyone need's their privacy." He said sternly and Rick smiled.

"Don't worry Mor-Morty." He said encouragingly and turned back to the microchip on his desk. "So, if I know you at all-and I do- there's more rules than that." Morty quipped and sat on the edge of Rick's desk. Rick had to resist the urge to back away from the proximity to his grandson. "Corectomundo!" he replied and looked back up at Morty. "You also have to start eating more and sleeping." He said and Morty groaned. "Rick…It's-It's not that simple." He complained and Rick nodded. "I know, but you have to try. I-I can't have your malnourished ass slo-slowing me down." He said and pulled his flask out of his coat pocket. The comment stung a bit but Morty knew he was right. He was more than aware of his current state. He hadn't eaten since they went to In and Out and was running on five hours of sleep. Every time he closed his eyes he saw purple ones staring back at him and every time he tried to eat it ended up coming back up. It was easier to just not try at all but he knew Rick wouldn't accept that as an answer so he lied. "Sure Rick. I'll try." Rick starred at him for a moment before nodding. "Alright then That's pretty much it." He finished and Morty squinted at him suspiciously once again. "Pretty much?" he asked incredulously. Rick waved his hand at him dismissively. "The rest will come later." He explained and stood up. He beckoned for Morty to sit in his chair while he unrolled a bunch of medical instruments.

Morty grimaced and took a seat. _This is gonna suck._ He thought to himself, and it did. It didn't take Rick long to insert the tracking chip but he had to make a small incision with a scalpel and Morty grit his teeth in pain. The anesthesia did little to quell the pain of Rick shoving the small microchip under his skin. "Sorry…" Rick murmured softly and was much gentler after that. Morty couldn't help but watch him work. It was captivating. Rick may be flighty and unpredictable but when he worked there was a certainty in his gaze that Morty was immediately drawn to. His icy blue eyes were trained on Morty's upper arm as he stitched the small wound closed. He took in the sight of Rick's unruly blue hair and soft wrinkle lines around his eyes and mouth. He was beautiful at least to Morty.

The boy was shaken from his revere when he realized Rick was starring right at him, calling his name. The man had a knowing look on his face and he smirked. Morty blushed and looked away. He realized then that Rick had finished up and his arm was now neatly bandaged up. "Ah…thanks" he muttered and crossed his arms defensively over his chest. Rick snickered under his breath and nodded. "No prob bob."

Later that night, Morty slipped out of the house and into the backyard. It was around two am and the moon was high in the sky. Morty found that on certain nights where his mind wouldn't quiet down on its own, it helped to go out to the roof and watch the stars. He clicked a button on the side of the sneakers that Rick had let him keep after their 'mega seed' fiasco and walked vertically up the side of the house and onto the roof. Sure, he could just drag a ladder out from the shed in the back yard but where was the fun in that? Besides, he didn't want his parents to notice it had been moved in fear that they may take this simple activity away from him and Morty had quickly learned that sometimes the simplest things were the best.

He thought about this as he sat on the highest peak of the roof, smoking another cigarette. He'd started smoking a few months after he…after he came back from that place. He found that it helped to calm his fried nerves. For a short time, he'd considered turning to drugs, but he couldn't do it. It just wasn't who he was, so he settled for the simple pleasure that a nicotine buzz could give him, and the soothing feel of menthol in his lungs. Suddenly, there was a soft shifting sound behind him and he turned to see Rick. He wasn't that surprised to see him. A few times, Rick had caught him sneaking up to the roof but he hadn't tried to stop him and Morty appreciated it. As Rick settled down beside him, he handed over his pack of cigarettes wordlessly and Rick accepted it. They sat in silence for a while, both starring up at the sky.

"Remember that time when we scavenged an abandoned ship near beta 4." Morty said, breaking the silence. Rick grinned and snickered to himself at the memory. "Yeah, you were scared out of your mind cause we ran into that tentacle monster." He laughed and Morty frowned at him. "I don't care what you say Rick, squids are scary." He said sternly but it was all in good fun and Rick laughed once again, eliciting a smile from the boy. "Yeah… well I liked that adventure because you could see the lights of a nearby solar system so clearly. It was beautiful…" he said, trailing off softly to look back up at the night sky. Rick watched him with a soft look on his face. For a moment, Morty looked like the innocent boy he had been a year ago. His deep green eyes twinkled from where they watched the sky and he looked more relaxed than he had in a long time. He felt lucky to be able to observe this, to be the only one who knew this side of him and he selfishly soaked it up like a man drinking water in a desert.

Morty was the one person in his life that he allowed to get in close, to break down his walls and crawl under the barrier he kept up at all times. Sometimes he hated it. The way the boy could so easily get in but other times, other times it was undeniably addicting. His hands ached with the need to reach forward. To pull Morty close and hold him against himself but he resisted it. He knew he couldn't do it for many reasons but one of them was that he didn't want to ruin Morty's peaceful demeanor. He felt a bit of sorrow in that moment, as he watched Morty's relaxed face. He knew that in the course of the next few days he would see this peacefulness disappear. It was a bitter-sweet situation.

On one hand, he would have Morty all to himself as they went about their work and there was a chance that it would help him heal, but on the other hand, was the fear that he would only derail the slight progress that the boy had made. It was too late to change anything now though. He was going to have to be ready for either outcome. "You know Morty." He suddenly said, drawing the boy's attention away from the sky and back to himself. "I've seen a lot of the universe, and it never gets old. No matter how many solar systems I've seen or foreign planets I've traversed, the sky will always call to me." He said quietly. Morty observed him for a moment and then turned away. There was a slight shift in the air and Rick furrowed his brow, wondering what he had said to ruin the mood.

"It must be hard." Morty said quietly and Rick rose an eye brow in confusion but Morty continued. "It must be hard to stay here." He finished and looked back at Rick. Suddenly, the genius was reminded of all the times he'd skipped out on the boy. When things got too hard to deal with, he had found it hard to stay and he knew that in that moment, Morty was afraid. He could see it in the slight twitch of his fingers and the slightly sorrowful look on his face. He was afraid that when things went south, Rick would pick up and leave like the numerous times he had before. The genius hated himself in that moment, more than he usually did anyways. He hated that he had caused that expression on Morty's face and before he even knew what he was doing, he was reaching forward and taking Morty's hand in his own.

"I'm not going anywhere." He said quietly and Morty's eye's widened. Rick started to panic when the boy didn't reply for several seconds and he went to withdraw his hand but Morty gripped it tighter and pulled him slightly closer before smiling softly at the man. "Thanks…" he replied quietly and then looked back up at the sky. Rick felt his heart flutter in his chest softly but he leaned into the touch. His whole being felt touch depraved and he couldn't help but selfishly soak it up. "It's okay if you do though." Morty suddenly added and Rick stared at him in astonishment. "I know who you are Rick. I don't expect you to change for anyone. If you need to leave…If you need to leave it will be okay…" Morty said softly and it was the boldest lie that Rick ever heard, yet the scientist was grateful for his words. He had no intention of running away from this, he couldn't even if he wanted to but the fact that Morty understood, that he knew of Rick's weakness and didn't hate him for it, was almost more than the man could handle. He felt his feelings for the boy dancing on the tip of his tongue, threatening to jump out against his will but instead he simply leaned forward to rest his forehead against Morty's shoulder.

"I told you Morty…I'm not going anywhere."


	7. Chapter 7

"Alright here we go!" Rick exclaimed with a devilish grin as he backed the ship out of the garage slowly. Morty couldn't help but laugh loudly at Rick's excitement as the ship ever so slowly inched out of the garage. "Well if this is any indication of how this trip is gonna go, I might just take the day off." He joked and Rick frowned at him. "Wha-what do you-you want from me Morty. She's an o-old ship okay." He said defensively but it only served to make Morty laugh harder. "She?" he asked, wiping away a laughter driven tear.

"Yes, sheee Morty." He replied without skipping a beat. About ten minutes later they were up in the air and headed into space. "Well "she" is faster in the sky at least." Morty said after a while and Rick grinned at him. "Da-damn right." He agreed. "So, what are we doing?" Morty asked as he knew nothing about what was planned today. Rick had dragged him out of bed at 7am to go on an "adventure" and he hadn't had time to ask what they were doing as he packed a bag. The only info Rick had given him was that he would need a couple changes of clothes so he could guess they might be out for a while.

"I'm building something and I need a crystal from the planet, Dasacan as well as a few other things. The trip might take some time because I haven't quite tracked down all the parts yet." He explained and Morty simply nodded. "Is this gonna be a level 3 trip or more like a level 10?" he asked, referring to the scale of danger they had come up with long ago. Rick seemed to contemplate this for a moment and then responded, "Level 2."

"Level 2 my fucking ass!" Morty shouted above the sound of gunshot's from where he hid behind the counter at a bar. Rick was crouched a few feet away under the same bar. Occasionally, he jumped up and fired off a few shots of his own from the laser gun he always kept in the side pocket of his coat. "Okay! Maybe it's more of a level 3!" He shouted back as he shot an alien who looked half human, half boar through the head. "Level 3-!" Morty shouted in disbelief but was stopped short by a bottle of vodka exploding above his head and shattering all over him. A particularly big shard struck his cheek and left a thin line of blood behind.

"Fuck!" he yelped holding a hand to his cheek he looked back over at Rick. "You got a plan!" He yelled just as an alien jumped over the side of the bar only to be shot dead at Rick's feet. "Kinda making it up as I go along Morty!" he called back. Morty saw his opportunity and slid forward to grab the alien's gun. It was weirdly light and bright blue but he shrugged and jumped up to fire a few shots before ducking back down as a bullet flew by his left side, grazing his shoulder. _Shit! I am not as good at this is Rick is._ He thought to himself. From what he could tell from his quick time above, there were about three aliens left. Rick fired off another two shot's and Morty heard the resounding squeal's of pain as two of the aliens went down.

"Morty! To your left, second booth down!" Rick called out. He would have gotten the alien himself but his laser gun was currently cooling down and couldn't be fired yet. Morty nodded at him and waited till he heard a moment of silence to jump up. He wasn't prepared of course for the last alien to be standing right in front of the bar with his gun aimed directly at Morty's head.

Morty froze and prepared for impact but felt nothing. "Drop your weapon boy." The alien said in a deep garbled voice. Morty didn't take his eye's off him as he slowly lowered his gun. "Now tell your master to hand over the crystal." He continued and Morty glanced at Rick who was still ducked beneath the counter with a stricken look on his face that Morty rarely saw. Morty glanced back up at the alien and smirked before ducking and lashing out to knock the gun out of the alien's hand. "Morty!" Rick screeched from the floor. The gun fired off and bullets hit the wall behind his head. Before the alien could recuperate from his shock, Morty was hopping the counter and slamming a fist into the side of his face. Stunned for a moment, the alien stumbled back but it wasn't enough to knock him out and soon he was stumbling back forward and connecting a kick to the side of Morty's ribs. He tried to block the hit the best that he could, but it still managed to knock him to the ground and he gasped as the air was knocked out of him.

Rick took the chance while the alien was distracted to jump up and fire his laser gun. It hit the alien between the eyes and Morty watched as his eyes rolled back in his head and he fell to the floor. Before he could even get his breath back, Rick was crouching over him with a new look of fury on his face that Morty had never seen before. "What the absolute fuck did you think you were doing?!" He shouted angrily. Morty gasped a few more times before slowly answering in a hoarse voice. "Saving…your…ass…" He huffed back and then groaned loudly as he pulled himself up into a sitting position with his hand on his ribs. Rick snarled in anger and grabbed Morty by the collar of his shirt to yank him forwards.

"You could have died!" He growled but Morty simply starred at him without answering. After a few terse moments filled with the quiet sound of Morty wheezing and Rick breathing heavily from his own anger, he released Morty and let him fall back against booth behind him. "Get up. We need to get moving before more of them come." He said quietly and Morty simply grunted as he pushed himself off the floor.

Rick knew that he was being a bit harsh as they trudged their way back to the ship. He could hear Morty wheezing a few feet behind him as they walked and when they finally got to the ship, he didn't offer to help the boy into the passenger seat. He was too enraged to even look at him. All he could think of was how for a moment, he had almost lost Morty again and he hated that feeling. He hated the fear and panic that had frozen him to the spot when he saw the gun pointed straight at his head. He hated that it had transferred him back to that moment a year ago where a different alien had pointed a gun at Morty and he knew that if he opened his mouth he would only say something he would regret. So he stayed quiet but it seemed that Morty had a different idea.

As Rick landed the ship in front of the cabin they would be staying at on a more rural part of Dasacan, Morty decided to push his luck. "Why are you still so mad?" he asked and Rick gripped the steering wheel tightly in his fists before opening his door and sliding out of the ship. He ignored Morty as he made his way to the front door of the cabin and unlocked it. A few seconds later, Morty stumbled in after him. "Rick!" he called and the genius tried his best to ignore him once again. Morty huffed out a breath in aggravation and then carried on.

"Rick it wasn't even a big deal! Were fine now right-." He started but was cut off by Rick whipping around to face him. "It wasn't even a big deal?!" he quoted angrily, and Morty realized he may have pushed the man a little too far but there was no going back now. "Morty you piece of shit! You almost died!" He shouted and Morty tried his best to hold his tongue. "What would I have done then huh? Did you- you fucking think of th-that?" Rick continued and Morty could feel his own anger and desperation begin to rise out of his control. "No you-you didn't think about it because you don't _think_! Do you Mort-."

"Why does it matter if I die Rick?!" he suddenly yelled. Rick froze and starred at him in shock. "Wh-why does it even matter?" he continued on. Rick felt his heart drop to his stomach and his rage from earlier completely dissipated. "Dad would barely care, Mom and Summer would get over it! And you! You don't even care at all! All-All you care about is hav-having me as your fucking assistant! Doin- doing all this dangerous shit and the-then getting mad when I fu-fuck up!" Morty found that once he had said it, he was unable to stop. All the anger and self-hate from the past couple months was flowing out of his mouth and he was powerless to its whims. So powerless in fact, that he didn't notice the tears flowing down his face.

"N-nothing matters Rick! No-Nothing matters even wh-when you try your hardest! It doesn't matter- I don't matter-." Morty was cut off suddenly, when Rick reached forward and smacked him across the face but he didn't have time to think about it because Rick followed it up by crushing their lips together.


	8. Chapter 8

At first, Morty was frozen in shock but after only a second, he was kissing Rick back with a ferocity he didn't know he contained. Rick backed them up until Morty's back thudded heavily into the wall. He forced his hands up and into the scientist's hair. Their first kiss was far from what he had expected. It was rough and fast and a bit painful as their teeth clashed together. Rick tasted like alcohol and sweat and everything right in the world and Morty found himself quickly loosing himself in the touch. Rick growled softly under his breath, and bit Morty's bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, before licking his way past his teeth and into his mouth. A slight moan escaped him at the sensation and he tugged on Rick's hair roughly.

 _Fuck, Fuck, Fuck! What am I doing!?_ Rick thought to himself as he pulled Morty closer. He was intoxicating, addicting, _amazing,_ and Rick couldn't peel himself away. He found that his body was moving on its own as he backed them up and into the wall and he growled softly under his breath. Without, thinking he bit down on Morty's lower lip and got a moan in return that nearly undid him completely. His hand's slid to Morty's hips and he gripped them hard enough to leave bruises. He knew that what he was doing was crazy and stupid but it felt _so good_ to finally let it happen. Morty was kissing him back like he wanted this, like he had also been waiting forever to kiss Rick and for a moment, the scientist let himself get lost in the thought, but it couldn't last.

His hand's stuttered uselessly at Morty's hips, and he slid them up and underneath the hem of his shirt. He moved them slowly up, fully intending to explore to his heart's content when his fingers slid over a deep scar on Morty's side. Suddenly, Morty froze. Reality came crashing down in that moment and Morty quickly shoved him away. He had a wild, stricken look on his face as he backed away. "Morty! I-I I'm sorr-." He stammered uselessly and reached forward but Morty just shook his head slowly before taking off and into the nearest room. The door slammed and Rick heard a soft click. For a while, he sat in silence, starring at the door in shock. What had he done?

Morty slumped down the door after he slammed it shut and drew his knees into his chest. He could feel the panic rising in his chest and more than anything he wanted to run back to Rick and crawl into his arms but he couldn't let the genius see him being so weak. He wrapped his arms around himself and dug his nails into his sides. He could feel his own scars underneath his shirt and it set him off again. The memory of how those scars appeared kept replaying in his mind and in that moment, he was trapped back in that place. He could feel the whip ripping into his skin once again, and he could hear the laughter coming from all around him. Worst of all though, was the feeling of phantom hands roaming his body.

It was so unbelievably unfair. He had wanted Rick for so long and right when he had him, he'd let him slip out of his grasp. He didn't take the time to consider _why_ Rick had kissed him in the first place because he could feel himself beginning to hyperventilate hand his heart pounded in his chest. He needed something, something to dull the panic that was quickly building out of control. Morty glanced around the room frantically looking for anything that could help when his eyes settled on a small bar set up in the corner of the room with various different bottles of alcohol sitting on it. He quickly crawled his way over to it and grabbed the first bottle he saw, Jack Daniels, and unscrewed the top before gulping a quarter of it down. It burned as it went and he almost retched it up but forced himself to swallow it. After only a few seconds, warmth began to spread from his stomach to his extremities and he found his panic slowly dying away. He took another large gulp of the warm liquid and let his eyes flutter closed for a moment. "So this is why Rick drinks…" he whispered to himself. This felt good, felt _right_ and Morty found himself finishing off the bottle in only a few minutes. The room was spinning but he didn't care because the memories were gone, the pain was gone and he felt damn good for once.

Rick laid on the couch in the small living room outside Morty's door, starring at the ceiling. He kept replaying what had happened in his head until he felt sick. Why had he done that? He had got so caught up in the moment that before he knew it, his body was moving on its own and apparently it had been a mistake. He'd gotten excited when Morty kissed him back, thinking that maybe he wanted this too but he had been wrong. He should have taken the time to read the situation better. Morty had just been looking for some kind of release and maybe he found it in that moment but clearly, he had realized what he was doing because the look he gave Rick after breaking away said it all. He had been horrified.

Rick felt his heart squeeze painfully in his chest and he growled softly before reaching for his flask. He froze though when he heard a loud crash from Morty's room. He was up in an instant and reaching for the door. A slight jiggle of the door knob confirmed that it was locked. "Morty!" He yelled through the door, but he only heard a slight shuffling with no response. _Fuck it._ He thought and then rammed the door with the side of his shoulder. It flung open, splintering slightly and smacking against the wall behind him. He was met with the sight of Morty standing in the corner near the bar. There was a broken glass near his feet. He didn't even seem to notice that Rick had just broken into the room, breathing heavily. Suddenly he looked up at Rick with a goofy expression on his face and said, "Oops…I dropped it." Rick starred at him in disbelief.

"You…dropped it?" He asked and Morty, nodded a little to vigorously. That's when Rick noticed the empty bottle of Jack thrown off to the side and the opened bottle of vodka in Morty's hand. Morty was drunk. The boy swayed slightly on his feet and then took a step forward to balance himself but stepped straight onto a piece of glass. He didn't even flinch as he looked down at his foot and then back up at Rick. "Ow." He said and Rick would have laughed if it wasn't such a serious situation. "Stop moving!" he exclaimed and quickly crossed the room, ignoring the crunch of broken glass under his boots. Morty didn't say anything as Rick wrapped his arm around his back and the other under his legs, but he grunted softly and suddenly Rick was reminded that he was probably still wounded from his fight.

All his anger at seeing Morty acting so carelessly escaped him as he carried the boy across the room and into the living room. He was too light and was still wheezing softly. Rick set him down softly on the couch. "Don't move." He said, making sure Morty heard him. "Okay." He said complacently and it scared Rick to see how obedient he was while under the influence. He quickly ran out to the ship and retrieved his first aid kit before returning to Morty, who was no laying down, face first, on the couch. "Morty, you're going to suffocate yourself." He growled and then gently turned the boy over so that he was laying on his back.

Soon he was sitting at the other end of the couch with a pair of tweezers. Morty groaned as he pulled out the small piece of glass and Rick sighed in frustration. "This is why you shouldn't get drunk Morty." He growled softly and the boy trained his hazy green eyes back on him. "Feels good…" he muttered and Rick flinched. "It's not safe…" he replied softly and Morty giggled. "But you're allllwaayyss drunk!" he exclaimed. "That's different. I'm an adult." He said and finished up treating Morty's foot. He wrapped it up in a bandage and then stood. Morty's left shoulder was stained with blood and Rick realized he must have gotten hurt earlier without him knowing. He helped Morty into a sitting position and reached for the hem of his shirt but Morty weakly slapped his hand away. "No." he said with a pout and Rick felt his frustration building.

"I have to treat your shoulder." He explained but Morty shook his head weakly. "No. don't want you to see…" he mumbled and Rick's heart sank. "Morty…I've already seen them…" he said gently and Morty just stared at him. Rick sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, before crouching in front of Morty. He took the boys small hands in his and looked him in the eye. "I promise it will be okay…I just need to fix your wound okay?" he said gently and after a few moments, Morty nodded before looking away. "Okay." He said and Rick hesitated for a moment longer before slowly pulling Morty's shirt up over his head. He couldn't lie. The scars were hard to look at. Especially since they were there because of him. He dragged his eyes away from the scar and up to Morty's face. He was staring intently at Rick, as if he had something to say but couldn't figure out how to put the words together.

"It…It- wasn't your fault…you know?" he stuttered. Rick couldn't believe that even in his drunken haze, Morty was still able to read the man so easily. It would have been so easy, in that moment, for Morty to blame him, for him to get angry and tell him it was all his fault but instead, he had concentrated his energy into convincing him that it wasn't and it only confirmed how little Rick deserved him. It had been selfish to kiss him earlier. When Morty sobered up the next morning, he would have questions and Rick wasn't quite sure how he could answer them truthfully. He was sure it would only end with more pain.

He tore his eyes off Morty's and looked at the dried blood on his shoulder, choosing to ignore his words. He wetted a bit of gauze with some antiseptic and gently washed the blood away to reveal a small cut running horizontally along his shoulder. Thankfully it was only a minor wound and wouldn't need any stitches. He treated the wound before gently wrapping it in a bandage. Morty quietly watched him the whole time. After treating the other small scratches, he had, he told Morty to stay put while he retrieved a clean shirt from his bags.

When he returned, Morty was nodding off slightly. He jumped slightly when Rick snapped his fingers in front of his face. Rick slipped the clean shirt over his head and helped him slip his arms through the sleeves, before picking him up once again and carrying him into a different room than the one before. He didn't want Morty to get up in his drunken haze and step on more glass. Morty hummed softly as he sat him down on the queen in the corner and helped him slide under the covers. "You're going to have one hell of a hangover in the morning." He muttered as he pulled the covers up to Morty's shoulders. He sat down on the side of the bed and pushed the boys sweat matted bangs away from his face. Morty hummed once again and leaned into the touch. Rick's heart stuttered in his chest and he had to resist the urge to lean down and kiss the boy once again.

It was almost more than he could bare. He'd learned long ago that life had a way of screwing you over in your highest moments. How ironic, how _unfair_ it was that he had messed up the chance to finally show Morty that he cared…that he…that he loved him but that was exactly why he had been so afraid to act in the first place. He hadn't wanted to mess this up, to mess up the simple moments he selfishly stole from the boy. Now it was over. Morty would wake up the next morning and probably tell Rick off for taking advantage of him when he was emotionally vulnerable, and then he would leave and the thought almost destroyed the part of his heart that still remained. He knew that if he stayed next to Morty any longer he might say something stupid so he stood with the intention of letting the boy sleep, when he reached out a hand and grabbed the edge of Rick's shirt. Rick turned back to look at Morty and he was staring back at him anxiously. "Don't…Don't…go." He mumbled and Rick hesitated.

"You need to sleep." He replied softly but Morty shook his head.

"Stay…and I will." He argued and Rick sighed. It looked like he wouldn't be getting away so easily. Everything in him screamed to run but he just couldn't do it, so he settled for sitting on the floor beside Morty's bed. Morty shifted to lay on his side so that he was facing the back of Ricks head. For a while there was silence, and Rick was thinking that he might have fallen asleep when suddenly he spoke, causing Rick to freeze in shock at his words,

"You know I love you Rick." He said in a strangely clear voice. Rick didn't reply for a while. His mind was reeling. What did he mean by that? "Y-you mean like family right?" He stuttered stupidly. "No Rick…I _love_ you." He repeated and the man's heart started to hammer away in his chest. "Y-yo-you're drunk Morty…" he whispered and Morty was quiet for a moment. His next words were soft and quiet. "I-I've always's loved you…" he whispered back and for a moment, Rick felt the world still.


	9. Chapter 9

No more than a second after he said it, Morty was asleep and Rick was left to stare into the darkness of the room in shock. He got to his feet and looked down at the sleeping boy. Slowly, he began to back away. Panic was quickly setting in as realization washed over him. Before he knew it, he was moving on his own accord. He took off, and out of the room, sprinting faster than he ever had before. He didn't know where he was going but he knew he couldn't stay in that room with Morty. He was too afraid of his own feelings.

After a minute or so, he came to a slow stop in the middle of nowhere. Rick panted softly as he took in his surroundings. He was somewhere near the edge of the forest where the cabin was. The city lights stretched out far away and he could almost see the curve of the planet from the hill he stood on. Satisfied with his distance from the boy, he collapsed to his knees. Only then, did he allow himself to think about what Morty had said.

Morty had said he loved him. He'd actually said it. Maybe he was just drunk, maybe he didn't really mean it but something inside Rick was screaming at him that it was the truth and it scared the shit out of him. He hadn't been expecting Morty to share his feelings. He should have been happy. He should have jumped for joy and waited for Morty to wake up so that he could tell him he felt the same but he couldn't because underneath it all it didn't matter. Rick didn't deserve him and if he allowed himself to fall into the temptation of it all, it would eventually destroy Morty. He couldn't let that happen. He couldn't let himself lose the only person he truly cared for.

Morty awoke to the worst headache of his entire life. He quickly lurched forward and dragged himself into the small bathroom attached to the room before he could throw up all over the cabin. He vomited into the toilet for a minute or so and then wiped the back of his hand across his mouth as he pushed away from the toilet. He leaned back against the edge of the bath tub and took in a few deep breaths. His head was still pounding and his mouth felt like it was filled with sand but at least his stomach felt better. As he took a moment to gather himself, he noticed he was wearing a new shirt and his shoulder and foot were bandaged. Suddenly, the events of the night came flooding back to him and he reached for the toilet to vomit once again.

Rick had kissed him and he had run away.

The last thing he remembered was dropping a glass tumbler of vodka. What else had he said or done? He knew he needed to talk to Rick. Slowly, he dragged himself to his feet and stumbled back into the room. That's when he noticed a glass of water and a small tablet sitting on the night stand next to his bed. He slowly stumbled over to it and saw a note sitting beside them that said, "Drink this." Morty dropped the tablet into the water and it started to fizz. He didn't wait for it to dissolve before he gulped the cup down.

It made him feel slightly better and he pulled himself together before leaving the room. He entered the living room to find it empty. His first thought was that Rick must be asleep in one of the other rooms still but after inspecting the other rooms and coming up empty handed he realized Rick was nowhere to be found. Panic started to set in. One thought kept circling around in his mind. _What if Rick left?_

He'd told Morty he wouldn't leave but could he really expect Rick to be telling the truth? He wanted to but as he ran around the cabin calling out the scientist's name, he found that it was getting harder and harder to believe him. _The ship!_ He suddenly remembered and rushed outside. His heart sank when he made it to the front yard only to discover it was empty. "Fuck…" he whispered and then once again louder, "Fuck!"

"What the hell are you yelling about?" he heard a voice from behind him say and he whipped around to see Rick standing in the doorway of the cabin. He had taken his lab coat off and had his sleeves rolled up to his elbows as he used an old rag to wipe some grease from his hands. "I-I-I thought…" he stuttered stupidly but then shook his head. "Where were you?" He asked and Rick rose an eyebrow at him before hooking a thumb over his shoulder.

"In the back. Had to fix a part on the ship and there's a garage in the back." He explained like it was the most obvious answer in the world. Morty felt his panic slowly die and he let out a pent-up breath. "Come on we have to go." Rick said casually and Morty stared at him in confusion. "Wha-what?" he stammered and Rick sighed like it was the most frustrating question in the world. "W-we still have a mission to complete, _Morty_." He replied sarcastically. Morty was astonished. Was he really going to act like last night hadn't happened?

"Ri-Rick?" he stuttered but the man was already turned away and heading back into the house. Morty stood still for a moment wondering if his memories from last night were real but in his heart he knew they were. He could still feel the phantom touch of Rick's lips against his. After a second, he took off after Rick, pulling his sneakers on as he went.

"Rick!" he called out to the man who was pulling on his lab coat in front of the ship. He didn't respond and Morty found his confusion was quickly mounting into anger. He growled softly under his breath before marching forward to grab Ricks wrist and pull him forward. "Je-Jesus kid. Be carefu-." He started but Morty cut him off with an angry hiss. "We need to talk about last night?" he growled and for a moment, an unfamiliar look passed over Rick's face but it was gone in an instant. "Wh-what about-urp-it?" he replied casually and Morty's mouth nearly dropped open. "Yo-you fucking ki-kissed me Rick!" he yelled and Rick just stared at him blankly. "Oh that." He responded lamely and rage flickered behind Morty's eyes. "Wh-what can I say? Mu-must have been th- the adrenaline." He said and turned to walk away but Morty stopped him once again by grabbing the front of his shirt. "Don't do this Rick. Do-Don't fu-fucking lie to me!" he exclaimed. Suddenly, Rick's expression changed from disinterest to anger.

"Wha-what the fuck do you want from me, _Morty_?" he spat and Morty took a step back in shock. "Di-did you think tha-that after we- we kissed we'd have som-some fairy tale wedding?" he growled and Morty found himself back pedaling as Rick advanced on him. "I-It was a mistake okay." He said and Morty felt his heart shatter in his chest. His eye's widened in shock and he stood stone still as Rick loomed over him. After a minute with no reply, Rick spun around and headed back towards the ship. "We have a mission to c-complete and I'm not paying you for nothing." He called over his shoulder.

Morty wanted to cry. He wanted to scream at Rick that he was wrong. That it wasn't a mistake and that he had just been scared. He wanted to tell him that he loved him. Instead, he forced himself to move numbly towards the ship.

Rick saw the exact moment that Morty's heart broke and it nearly destroyed him in turn. He had been so angry a moment before but as soon as the words had left his lips- _It was a mistake-_ his entire demeanor had changed, it was enough to make him break down and tell the truth but he couldn't. He had decided that the best way to protect Morty, was to push him away. Of all the things he'd faced in his life, this was the hardest.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Morty climbed into the ship. His face was devoid of emotion and he didn't say a word as the ship took off. Most of the trip went by without a single word spoken between them. Rick landed the ship on a small planet in front of a pawn shop. Morty didn't move as Rick exited the ship. "You coming or what?" he asked but Morty didn't reply. "Fine." He said and slammed the ship door before making his way into the front of the store. The part he was looking for was small and it took him some time to track it down. The alien behind the counter at the register had four eyes and his skin was a deep orange color. He turned his attention to Rick as he walked up. "How much for this?" He asked as he placed the part down on the counter. The alien looked at him for a moment, before glancing at the part and then back up at him. "sixty schmeckles." Rick's eyebrows rose and he gave the alien a dirty look. "That's bull shit, it's not worth twenty schmeckles." He growled and the alien simply stared at him before shrugging. "You asked." He replied and then turned his attention back out the window. "Of course…I would be willing to…make a trade." He suddenly said. Rick followed his line of sight out the window to see Morty leaned up against the ship, smoking a cigarette.

In the blink of an eye, Rick was reaching forward and gabbing the front of the alien's shirt. He tugged him forward, slamming his head into the counter top and placed the muzzle of his laser gun under the man's chin. "I've got a better idea." He growled. "How about I take that part and walk out of here, and you get to keep your life?" the alien nodded vigorously and Rick shoved him away satisfied. He grabbed the part off the counter and quickly walked away. Morty looked up at him as he exited the store but quickly looked away. He threw his cigarette to the grown and stomped on it before climbing back into the ship without a word.

Rick sighed and took out his flask to gulp a few mouthful's down before climbing into the ship. By the time they made it back the cabin, it was dark out. Morty wasted no time hopping out of the ship and making his way into the cabin. Rick watched him go and felt his chest constrict in pain. He leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before following him inside.

He was prepared to spend the rest of the night alone, drinking in his room but what he got instead was far more unpredictable. As soon as he entered the cabin, he was assaulted by Morty. Rick had forgotten how strong the boy was, even though he weighed barely anything. He shoved Rick until his knees hit the back of the couch and he collapsed backward. "What the fuck Mort-." He began but was cut off by Morty startling his lap and crushing their lips together. For a moment, he was frozen to the spot. His first instinct was to kiss him back but he couldn't so he pushed him away softly, intending to ask what he was doing but anything he could have thought to say disappeared as he took in the sight of Morty. Tears were streaming down his face and they dripped from his chin. "M-Morty-." He began but was once again cut off.

"You're full of shit Rick."


	10. Chapter 10

Morty watched Rick disappear into the pawn shop. His mind was still reeling from what the scientist had said earlier. "It was a mistake." The words echoed in his head. He felt like running away and never returning but he couldn't because there was something that just didn't add up. He'd seen it in Rick's eyes the night before, right before he'd kissed him and in the moment when he fled. Rick _had_ wanted it. He'd wanted Morty and Morty just couldn't understand what had changed that. He climbed out of the ship and lit a cigarette. Leaning against the ship, he noticed that the alien cashier inside was staring at him strangely so he turned away slightly and rubbed the back of his head.

His head was still aching from his hang over and he pinched the bridge of his nose, clenching his eyes shut. How much had he drunk anyways? As he thought back on the night, something occurred to him. How had he gotten to bed? That's when he remembered everything. The feeling of Rick bandaging his wound's gently. Rick carrying him to bed and tucking him in. Asking Rick to stay and lastly, telling Rick he loved him.

He had told Rick he loved him. _Shit. Shit. Shit!_ Everything suddenly made sense. Rick was hiding from him. Trying to drive him away because above all else, the man could not deal with intimacy. Morty had seen it with his mom and Morty had gone and spilled his guts to the man. He knew that it was just a part of who Rick was but it hurt so much, knowing that instead of talking to him, he'd rather push Morty away but maybe he didn't want to talk to him. Maybe he was disgusted. _Maybe he really did think it was a mistake…_ The thought broke his heart even more. Before he could think on it any longer, the stores door flung open and Rick walked out looking more pissed than ever.

Morty climbed back into the ship without a word and they took off. All he could think about on the ride back to the cabin was the way Rick had kissed him but it didn't matter because apparently it had been a mistake. As the ship landed, he wasted no time making his way into the cabin. He turned to walk to his room but then froze. The memory of last night kept playing over and over and he found his body wouldn't move. He heard Rick walk in behind him and before he even knew what he was doing, he was shoving Rick backwards and onto the couch.

He could feel his anger and sadness spinning out of control and he couldn't stop himself even if he wanted to. He climbed into Rick's lap and crushed their lips together, hoping, praying that Rick would kiss him back but he didn't. Instead he pushed the boy away. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that Rick could kiss him and throw him away like he was nothing. It wasn't fair that he had to feel like this. He felt the tears that had been threating to fall slip over his cheeks and down his face.

"You're full of shit Rick." His mouth moved on its own and he barely heard the word's leave his lips. He leaned forward and pressed his face into the crook of Rick's neck. "You're full of shit and I love you Rick." He whispered and found that it only made him sob harder. "I lov-love you so fucking mu-much and I don't mean a thing to you." He choked out. Suddenly, the room shifted and he was being pushed onto his back against the couch. In an instant Rick was on top of him. He paused for a moment, as if contemplating something and then he was leaning forward and kissing him once again with a low growl.

Morty had never been more confused in his whole life and yet he wasted no time pushing back into the kiss. Rick had one hand balancing himself to the left of Morty's head and the other cupping his face gently. He realized his own hands hand found their way up the back of Rick's shirt and he dug his nails into the man's skin, eliciting another soft growl from the man. "I'm sorry, I-I'm sorry." Rick murmured in between planting light kisses to the boy's lips.

"I-I-I didn't-I couldn't and-." He tried to explain but Morty cut him off. He pulled away from the man to look him straight in the eyes. "Did you mean it?" he whispered and it took Rick a second to figure out what he was referring to. He shook his head vigorously. "No…God no…" he replied and that was enough for Morty. He reached up and grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him down. He felt all the despair and anger the day start to dissolve but it wasn't enough. Rick was barely touching him and he kissed him like he was afraid that the boy might break but Morty wanted more, he _needed_ more.

He pulled away with a slick pop and mouthed his way across Rick's jaw and to the pulse point on his throat. He could taste Rick's skin and feel his heart beat under his tongue. Before he knew what he was doing, he was biting down hard enough to leave a bruise. Rick moaned loudly and Morty felt his dick jump to life in his jeans but before he could do more Rick was pushing him away gently. Morty whimpered softly at the loss of touch and looked up at Rick confused. Rick's cheeks were dusted with a light blush and his eyes were lidded with lust. His lips looked red and kiss swollen and Morty thought that in that moment he had never looked more attractive.

"Mo-Morty." Rick stammered and then sat up. Morty wanted to grab him and pull him back down. "I-I can't." He whispered and Morty wanted to scream at him. He sat up and scooted closer to the man who looked away.

"Why?" he demanded and found that his anger had returned full force. "Am I not enough?" He asked and Rick jerked his attention back to the boy. He opened his mouth to protest but Morty pushed on, climbing back into his lap. He could feel Rick's erection and he ground his own down into it. Rick groaned loudly and his head hit the back of the couch as his hands flew to Morty's hips to still them. "Tell me what it is Rick." He demanded and then added lowly. "Do I…Do I disgust you?" Rick's eyes widened and he shook his head vigorously. "No! No Morty, you could never disgust me." He responded. "Then what is it?" Morty demanded once again.

Rick was silent for a moment, simply starring at Morty. "I-I can't lose you Morty." He finally said and Morty felt his stomach flip. "I hurt e-everything I touch…I don't want to hurt you more than I already have." He whispered and for once, Morty knew he was telling the truth. His expression softened and he leaned forward to rest his forehead against Rick's.

"You won't." He replied and Rick started to disagree but he cut him off. "Even if you did it wouldn't matter. Be-because I know who you are Rick. I-I don't expect you to be anything you aren't." He whispered and then pulled back slightly to look him in the eye's. "I…I just want what you're willing to give and if-." He started but he could feel his throat tightening and his eyes began to water. He cleared his throat and looked back at Rick with sincerity in his gaze.

He continued on with a slight tremor to his voice. "And if you never kiss me again, it will be enough…Even if all I can do is stand beside you. I want that. I want you anyway I can have you." He finished softly. Rick was silent for a moment, simply staring at Morty with a look the boy couldn't read but what he did next was something Morty never thought he would see. A tear slipped its way over the edge of his cheek. Morty thought he was going to die. Never in a million years did he think he would see Rick cry but none of it would matter after what Rick would say next. He reached forward and wrapped his arms around Morty. He pulled him against his chest and looked him in the eyes.

"I want to give you everything I have."


	11. Chapter 11

Morty felt his bottom lip start to tremble and he screwed his eyes shut before pressing his lips firmly to Rick's. Rick pulled him closer and slid his hands up and into the boy's curly hair. Morty moaned softly under his breath when Rick tugged slightly and he pressed himself impossibly closer. As he did so, their clothed erections rubbed together once again and Rick let out a hiss of before biting down on Morty's bottom lip.

It was so easy for the boy to get under his skin and drive him mad and he could feel himself losing control. Morty griped onto his shoulders and ground down into Rick's lap at a punishing pace. Rick's eyes nearly rolled back in his head and he moved to pull away but Morty only gripped him tighter. "Mo-Morty -ugh- slow down." He said against the boy's lips. Morty slowly pulled away. "What's wrong?" he asked. His eyes were blown black with lust and his lips were kiss swollen and slick with saliva. Rick squeezed his eyes shut and willed forth the last of his control before opening them again and resting his hands on Morty's biceps to keep him still.

"I don't want- I don't want to push you or-or go too far, last night I-." he started but Morty cut him off by shaking his head softly. "I know I reacted badly last night…but it won't happen again." He said, staring into Rick's icy blue eyes. "Morty-." Rick started to disagree but Morty shut him up by pressing his lips back to his. "Please…" he whimpered and that was all it took. He slipped his hands under Morty's thighs and lifted him off the couch. Morty wrapped his legs around Rick's waist and held on for dear life as he carried him into the back room, not leaving his lips for even a second. Rick kicked the door shut behind him deftly, as he entered the room and then laid Morty on the bed before climbing on top of him.

Morty instinctively spread his legs and Rick settled in between them. He kissed his way across the boy's jaw and down to his throat and Morty let out a keening moan as Rick latched his mouth to the curve of his neck and shoulder. Rick let out a low chuckle as he sucked a dark bruise onto his skin and then another and another. He wanted to mark Morty up, to make him his.

Morty was quickly losing control of himself as Rick sucked marks onto his skin and he canted his hips up into Rick, letting out another moan as he got the friction he was so desperately searching for. Rick rutted down to meet his thrusts. Morty wanted to get his hands and mouth on Rick's body as fast as he could but his shirt was in the way. He grabbed the hem of the blue sweater and tried to pull it over Rick's head but it got caught half way up and he let out a little sound of annoyance. Rick chuckled and sat up for a moment to pull off his shirt.

"Impatient little thing arent you…" he growled in a low voice and but Morty didn't hear him. He was too busy taking in the glorious sight of Rick's chest. He had a huge scar running diagonally from his left shoulder down to his belly button as well as a few other little marks in random places. It was unnaturally attractive and he growled softly under his breath before pulling Rick back down and flipping him over so that he was straddling his hips.

Rick forgot once again, how much power Morty held in his small body as he was flipped to lay on his back with Morty on top of him. Morty ran his hands down Ricks chest, deftly tracing his fingers over the various scars and marks. He wanted to add his own. He leaned down and latched his mouth onto Rick's nipple, sucking softly and then biting down hard enough to leave a ring of bruises. "Fuck!" Rick moaned and bucked up against the boy. Morty smiled and started to leave a small trail of bruises and bites as he slid his hand to Rick's belt buckle and unbuckled it. He wasted no time in sliding his hand down the front of Rick's pants and under his boxers. "Wow there!" Rick jumped slightly and Morty froze for a second, looking up at the man. "Slow down a bit." He laughed. "I'm an old man." Morty grinned wickedly before wrapping his hand around Rick's cock. "You sure don't feel like one." He said and Rick moaned as he swiped his thumb over the head of his leaking member, and squeezed lightly. Morty shimmied his pants and boxers down the scientist's legs and his dick sprung free. Morty took a moment to take in the sight. Rick propped himself up on his elbows and gave Morty a snide smirk. "Think you can handle yourself, kid?" he asked sarcastically and Morty loved it. He loved this. He had missed seeing Rick be himself. Before Rick could react, he was leaning down and wrapping his mouth around the man's cock.

Rick's eyes nearly rolled back in his head when Morty wrapped his mouth around his dick. He had to keep himself from bucking up into the warm wet heat as Morty began to bob his head up and down, applying a light suction. If Rick didn't know better he would say he'd don't this before. His hand moved of its own accord and found its way into Morty's hair. He fisted the boy's curls in his hand and tugged lightly. Morty moaned around his cock and it sent shivers up his spine. He pulled off with a wet pop, and crawled up Rick's body to look him in the eye's.

"I want you to fuck me." He stated plainly and Rick's eyes widened.

Rick was silent for a moment, there was nothing he wanted to do more but he was hesitant. He rested his hands on Morty's back and looked the boy in the eyes. "Are you sure?" he asked sincerely. Morty paused for a moment, as if thinking, and then leaned forward to press a chaste kiss to his lips. "I'm sure." He whispered and that was good enough for Rick. He quickly flipped their positions once again so that Morty was lying on his back. With a growl, he realized that Morty was still fully dressed and that was just unacceptable. He slid down the boy's body and unbuttoned his jeans, sliding them down just enough to mouth around his happy trail. He mouthed his way across Morty's skin to his prominent hip bones and nipped them lightly. Morty moaned and buried his hand's in Rick's hair.

He slowly slid Morty's jeans and boxers down and immediately wrapped his mouth around the boy's cock. Morty keened and arched into the touch, nearly chocking Rick but it wasn't the first time the man had done this and he took it easily. "Lube, night stand." He directed after pulling off for only a moment. Morty squirmed his way up the bed slowly and reached around blindly for the drawer on the night stand before tossing the bottle of lube to Rick, who caught it without even looking up.

He popped the bottle open and squeezed a small amount out onto his fingers, before laying it aside. Morty was still writhing from the pleasure of Rick's mouth and he barely moaned when Rick teased his entrance with a finger before slowly sliding the finger in.

He couldn't lie. It stung, and he knew the real thing would be much worse but he wanted, had wanted it for so long that it didn't matter. Rick allowed Morty to get used to the feeling before slowly adding a second finger. He scissored his fingers slowly, opening him up and then started searching for that place that he knew would have Morty forgetting all about the pain.

As he hit it, Morty jumped slightly and let out a low moan. Rick smiled around his cock and sucked lightly as he added a third finger and pressed on that spot again to distract him from the pain. Rick was surprised at how easy it was to open him up and soon he was ready for the real thing. Rick pulled off with a slick pop and crawled his way up Morty's body.

The boy was still wearing his shirt. Rick hadn't tried to remove it, knowing he didn't like his scars showing. He wanted this to be as comfortable as it could be for him. Morty looked completely wrecked and they hadn't even really started. His eyes were lidded and blown black with lust, and there was a light sheen of sweat on his skin.

Rick cupped his cheek in his hand and gained the boy's attention. He quirked an eyebrow at Rick in silent question. "Are you sure you want to do this- Are-are you sure you're ready?" he asked and Morty paused for a moment before slowly carding his hand up into Rick's hair. "Please?" he begged and Rick shook his head slightly, "that's not an answer Morty." He replied and Morty looked away. That's when Rick noticed he was shivering slightly and his skin was pale. He cursed himself for not noticing sooner. His expression softened and he settled on his elbows before cupping Morty's face gently in his hands so that he was looking back at the man.

"We don't have to do this. I know-I know a lot of awful things happened to you a year ago-." He started but Morty closed his eyes and shook his head slightly. "Rick-." He started but Rick pushed on. "All I'm saying is, we can stop whenever you want, and if you're not ready, we can wait. It's okay." He said and then added more softly. "I'll take care of you. You don't have to be afraid…" Morty met his gaze and his trembling slowly subsided.

"I…I'm afraid." He whispered and Rick felt his heart squeeze painfully in his chest. "Be-before…" he tried to say but felt his throat slowly closing up. A tear ran down his cheek and he screwed his eyes shut tightly, taking in a shuttering breath. Rick waited patiently for him to carry on. He knew that this conversation was going to happen eventually and he knew Morty needed it.

"They-they weren't gentle. They weren't kind." He started again and Rick had to swallow an angry growl at the image. "It's hard-." Morty took in shuttering breath and Rick caressed the side of his face gently. "I-It's hard to forget but...but I want this and I can handle it. I can handle it if it's you." He finished with a whisper. Rick leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Morty's forehead, then his cheeks and lastly his lips. "Just say the word and we'll stop." He whispered and then added, "I'm going to take care of you." Morty looked into his icy blue eyes and saw that he was being sincere.

Rick didn't do this often. He wasn't kind or soft or gentle but he was with Morty, and the boy wanted to soak every bit of it up. He nodded softly and Rick hesitated for a moment longer before pressing his lips to Morty's. He sat up for a moment, and grabbed the bottle of lube once again. He squeezed a small amount into his hand before slicking up his cock. He hooked his hands around Morty's legs and pulled him closer before lining his dick up with the boy's entrance. He looked back up at Morty. He was watching with a look of adoration and slight anxiety. "Are you ready?" he asked and Morty nodded vigorously before squeezing his eyes shut. Rick stared at him for a moment longer, before slowly pushing in.


	12. Chapter 12

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! _Rick!_ " Morty keened, as Rick slowly pushed into him. He was big, almost too big and for a moment, Morty was concerned he wouldn't fit. It hurt, but there was also the underlying zing of pleasure that kept him from begging Rick to pull out. He fluttered his eyes open softly, and met Rick's gaze. His expression was full of concern and Morty couldn't help but giggle softly. "It's okay Rick…" he said hoarsely, flinching slightly as Rick bottomed out. "Are you sure? We can stop-." He started but Morty reached up and pulled him down into a kiss, he bit down on Rick's bottom lip and tugged lightly eliciting a low growl from the man.

Morty pulled away enough to look Rick in the eyes and then said, "I'm fine, now move." Rick was stunned for a second at the deep tenor Morty's voice had taken. It was unbelievably attractive. He chuckled softly and began to slowly pull out. Morty's eyes fluttered shut and he groaned as his walls contracted around Rick's cock. Rick started a slow pace, and Morty's pain began to slowly melt into pleasure. He reached up and slid his hands into Rick's hair to pull him down and back into a kiss. Rick groaned softly and pulled back just enough to touch their foreheads together. "Fuck you're tight." He whispered and Morty nearly lost control at the words.

It all felt so surreal and he wanted more. He hooked his legs around Rick's waist and pulled him closer. "harder." He demanded and Rick grinned. "Yes sir." He replied, jokingly lifting a hand to his forehead to salute him before quickening his pace. Morty loved it. He loved that Rick could make him laugh and come undone at the same time and in that moment, nothing else in the world mattered. He forgot all about the past and the pain he'd gone through and focused on the pleasure of the punishing pace Rick had started up.

Suddenly, light exploded behind his eyes and he cried out as Rick hit his prostate. "Fuck, Fuck Rick do that again!" he demanded and the scientist was quick to respond, thrusting back in and angling himself just right to hit that spot once again. Morty's pleasure was quickly growing and he knew he was getting close but he wanted it to last longer. Rick seemed to have a different idea as he wrapped his hand around Morty's weeping member and began stroking it. "Fuck, you look so good on my cock baby." Rick said, pumping Morty's dick in time with his thrusts. Morty melted slightly at the pet name, threatening to come just from Rick's words.

"Ah fuck Rick!" he cried out and Rick slipped his other hand under Morty's back and around his waist to pull him closer. It was almost too much. "Riickkk, I need to-I'm gonna-." He tried to say but he couldn't get the words out. Rick pulled him impossibly closer and began to stroke him faster. "Come for me sweetheart." He growled and that was all it took.

Morty's eyes rolled back in his head and he cried out Rick's name as he came across their stomach's. Rick pulled back and braced himself with one hand to the left of Morty's head and the other gripping his hip tightly. He picked up his pace, slamming into Morty and sending tremors up the boy's spine. It didn't take long for him to follow Morty over the edge and he came with a loud groan as he emptied himself into the boy. All the energy left his spent body and he collapsed on top of the boy, planting small kisses to his cheeks and neck.

"Fuck, you were so good Morty, so good." He said and Morty smiled weakly at the praise before pressing his lips to the mans. Rick sat up and slowly pulled out before settling beside him. He wrapped his arms around Morty and pulled him close. He laid his head on Rick's shoulder and entangled his legs with the mans. After a long moment of comfortable silence, Morty spoke.

"Thank you, Rick…." He whispered and Rick's grip tightened around him.

"For what?" he asked.

"For staying…." Morty responded.

That night, Rick lay awake starring at the ceiling with Morty asleep in his arms. _Must be dreaming._ He kept thinking to himself but then Morty would mumble something in his sleep or pull him closer and he would be reminded that it was all real and it terrified him.

There were so many ways he could mess this up. So many ways that he could hurt Morty again and he wanted to run away, to prevent the boy from any further pain but his words kept ringing through his ears. _Even if all I can do is stand beside you. I want that. I want you anyway I can have you._ He knew that whatever he had, he had to give to him. Even the smallest part of himself was Morty's. It always had been and always would.

He knew it was inevitable that he would hurt Morty again. He was a vile vicious man and time and time again he did the wrong thing, but Morty made him want to do the best that he could, even if he knew he would fail he had to try because Morty was all that mattered.

Morty suddenly shifted in his sleep and his eyes fluttered open. "mmm…Rick…" he whispered and the man rolled over on his side to face him. Morty was watching him with his deep green lidded eyes. He was so beautiful, Rick thought and he squeezed his eyes shut tightly.

"What's wrong?" Morty asked quietly. Rick opened his eyes once again, and lifted a hand to caress his cheek before leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to his lips. "Nothing." He replied, pulling away just far enough to press their foreheads together. Morty observed him for a moment longer but he was quickly falling asleep again. As his eyelids began to close he whispered, "I love you Rick…" Rick's heart squeezed in his chest. He pressed a soft kiss to Morty's forehead.

In that moment, he realized it didn't matter what happened in the future, he would be there. It didn't matter how hard it would be, or how much he would want to run away. It didn't matter if Beth and Jerry fought, if Summer annoyed him or if being with Morty became too much. He knew that it would be hard. Morty wasn't okay, no matter how much he lied. Rick could feel it in his bones and he would have to eventually answer for his mistakes but it didn't matter, because he would be there to do it. He wasn't running away this time.

"I love you too…" he whispered and slowly, he drifted off into the most peaceful sleep he had ever had.


End file.
